Download Othello - Nashville Shakespeare Festival

EDUCATOR’S GUIDEBOOK
Directed by Jon Royal / Costume Design by June Kingsbury
Set Design by Morgan Matens / Lighting Design by Anne Willingham
Sound Design by Brenton Jones / Fight Choreography by Eric Pasto Crosby
Education Sponsor:
This production is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of
the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Table of Contents
Note from the Education Director, Nettie Kraft
Note from the Director, Jon Royal
Note from the Artistic Director, Denice Hicks
Othello Synopsis by Nettie Kraft
Shakespeare at a glance
Historical Context: Eliza & James by Hugh Inman
Shakespeare’s Ups and Downs by Dr. Ann Jennalie Cook
Classroom Activities
Discussion Ideas and Questions
PTSD by Casey Flyth
Child Soldiers by Annalise Maker
Design and Activities
Othello in Performance by Dr. Ann Jennalie Cook
Additional Teacher Resources
Directions to the Troutt Theater
Apprentice Company Training
Sponsor Page
Locus of Control Worksheet
Project Menu
Common Core Standards
Note from the Education Director
Hello!
I am so excited to welcome you into our 26th season at the Nashville
Shakespeare Festival. This year’s production of Othello at the Troutt Theater on the campus of
Belmont University should prove to be a wonderful theatrical experience.
This guidebook is to help teachers and students with classroom instruction and generate a
healthy curiosity about Shakespeare, the process of theatre, and this play in particular. You will
find a synopsis, historical information, lesson plans, links to additional resources such as videos
and books, a map to the theater, and explanations of various design and directorial choices for
Othello. Whether your class is just beginning to read Othello or has already finished the play the
guidebook serves as a tool to prepare for viewing the work as it was meant to be, on stage, with
you in the audience.
If you have any further questions I am always happy to
help! To book a workshop or matinee reservation you may reach
me at [email protected].
Enjoy the show!
Nettie Kraft, Education Director
Note from the Director
In this very dangerous world that we live in, the dangers that we face aren’t always clear to us on an
everyday basis. We depend on a strong military force to fight for our interests abroad, and defend
the home-front when necessary. We equip, train, and deploy, our best and brightest, to ensure that
our everyday lives continue without a hitch. We rest easier, with a sense of security, trusting that our
protectors will do their duty, and uphold the ideals of our culture.
The Venice of Shakespeare’s Othello is not so different from our world. When I step into this Venice
that the Moor, Iago, and Desdemona live in, I’m dogged by many questions, but the most important
being; what happens to the protectors, after dedicating their lives to service? Soldiers aren’t only
defending the land, property, and tangible holdings of the nation that deploys them, but also the
hopes and dreams of its citizens. I’m drawn to this play in which everyone has their own idea of
Paradise that they hope to secure, hang onto, and defend with all they are. Othello seeks a
relationship, and kind of love that he’s never known, after spending his entire life as a weapon for
others. He has no idea what a high price he has paid over the course of his life. I can’t help asking
myself, do I? Soldiers are taught to constantly be at the ready. What happens when there is no real
threat? What happens when the everyday pieces and events of a person’s life, are perceived as
danger? Sadly, in my view, I think we have to include the toll of that damage, with all of its
consequences, onto our ticket for paradise.
Jon Royal, Director
Note from the Artistic Director
Greetings,
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival deeply appreciates your partnership for our seventh
annual Winter Shakespeare production. We are thrilled to return to our winter home in the
beautiful Troutt Theater on the campus of Belmont University, and are very excited about sharing
this exciting production of Othello with you and your students.
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is dedicated to keeping Shakespeare’s works alive and
relevant in a society that struggles with meaningful communication and inconsequential
entertainment options. We hope that our production of Othello offers you and your students a
deeper appreciation for Shakespeare’s relevance in the 21st century and his power to write a
historical and political play that rings true even to this day.
Othello is a terribly sad play. Iago’s motivation for ruining lives is as mysterious to me as the
motivations for the current spate of mass shootings. In a world where innocence is vulnerable to
indiscriminate and irrational violence, a play like Othello is always relevant. I hope that Othello will
offer some great fodder for in depth discussions of honor, loyalty, and acceptable and unacceptable
behavior.
Thank you for teaching the works of William Shakespeare. I hope the rewards are greater
than the challenges. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the production, your matinee,
or workshop reservation, please do not hesitate to contact
us: [email protected]
Enjoy the show!
Denice Hicks, Artistic Director
Othello Synopsis
by Nettie Kraft
Act I
In Venice the Duke and Senators discuss the plan against the Turks in Cypress agreeing Othello
should lead the battle. Even though Iago has served well Othello has chosen Cassio to be his
Lieutenant. Roderigo and Iago wake Desdemona’s father Brabantio, scaring him with news of
Othello and Desdemona together. Brabantio summons his guards and leaves to hunt down the
lovers. Iago finds Othello at home and pretends to have defended him against Brabantio. Cassio
summons Othello to see the Duke. Brabantio and his men enter and a fight begins. Brabantio
demands they go to the Duke. The Duke asks for an explanation. Othello tells of how he and
Desdemona fell in love. Her father swears if Desdemona was a willing participant he will give her
to Othello. Desdemona arrives, confesses her love, and tells of their marriage. The Duke appoints
Othello to run the war and Desdemona is allowed to follow him to Cypress. Iago urges Roderigo
to follow the troops where he swears Desdemona will soon be sick of Othello and he will have his
chance. Iago reiterates his hatred of Othello and vows to use Othello’s gullibility to make him
suspect Cassio and Desdemona of being lovers. On Cypress a storm at sea destroys the Turkish
warships. All worry that Othello is dead. Iago witnesses Cassio’s familiar behavior with
Desdemona. Othello lands and the happy couple reunite. Iago incenses Roderigo with talk of
Desdemona’s love for Cassio convincing him to start a fight later. While on guard duty Iago gets
Cassio drunk and provokes the fight between him and Roderigo. Othello demands to know who
started it. Cassio is framed and Othello demotes him. Iago comforts Cassio, suggesting he ask for
Desdemona’s help with Othello. Roderigo threatens to go back to Venice but Iago convinces him
to stay. Desdemona agrees to help and her pleas for Cassio help Iago plant doubt in Othello’s
mind. Othello claims to have a headache but when Desdemona attempts to ease his pain with her
handkerchief he pushes it aside and it drops to the floor unnoticed. Emilia finds the handkerchief
and gives it to Iago. Iago schemes to plant it in Cassio’s house and trick Othello. Othello, tortured
with jealousy and doubt, demands Iago prove Desdemona’s betrayal or suffer the consequences.
Iago lies to Othello about Cassio possessing the handkerchief. Othello flies into a rage, vowing
revenge and Iago swears to help him kill Cassio and Desdemona. Desdemona worries over the
lost handkerchief and Emilia claims ignorance. Desdemona informs Othello she has summoned
Cassio to speak with him. Othello asks for her handkerchief but she lies and claims it isn’t lost.
ACT II Desdemona and Emilia discuss Othello’s strange behavior, Emilia contending it is jealousy.
Cassio asks his girlfriend Bianca to make a copy of the handkerchief mysteriously found in his
room. Iago bids Othello to hide and overhear their conversation. Othello believes the talk of
Bianca is about Desdemona. Bianca returns with the handkerchief, jealous. Othello thinks he has
proof of Desdemona’s betrayal and decides to strangle her. Iago vows to kill Cassio. Lodovico
delivers a letter to Othello summoning him to Venice and replacing him with Cassio. Desdemona’s
happiness for Cassio provokes Othello to strike her and Lodovico questions Othello’s sanity.
Emilia suggests someone has framed Desdemona. Desdemona begs for Iago’s help. Roderigo and
Iago agree to murder Cassio. Othello commands Desdemona to get ready for bed and dismiss
Emilia. Later, Roderigo and Iago jump Cassio, wounding him. Othello thinks him dead and goes to
murder his wife. Othello tells Desdemona he means to kill her and she begs for her life. He
smothers her. Emilia discovers Desdemona. Othello admits to killing his wife because of what Iago
said. Emilia calls Othello a murderer and confronts Iago with his lies. Iago stabs his wife and runs
out, Othello is disarmed, and Emilia dies. Iago is caught and Othello kills himself.
Shakespeare at a glance
1558
Queen Elizabeth I takes the throne
April 23rd, 1564
William Shakespeare was born. He spent his early years in Stratfordupon-Avon where he attended school until age 14
1582
An 18-year-old Shakespeare marries 26-year-old Anne Hathaway because
she is pregnant
1583
Susanna Shakespeare is born
1585
Twins Judith and Hamnet are born
1586
Shakespeare leaves his home and joins a company of actors as a
performer and playwright
1592
London theatres close due to the Plague
1598
Shakespeare (and others) finance the building of the Globe Theatre
June 29th, 1613
Fire destroys the Globe Theatre during a performance of Henry VIII when
cannon fire sets fire to the roof
1614
Second Globe Theatre is built
April 23rd, 1616
Shakespeare dies
1623
“The First Folio” of Shakespeare’s plays is published
1644
The Globe Theatre is demolished
SHAKESPEARE’S UPS AND DOWNS
By Dr. Ann Jennalie Cook
Though the most popular and successful playwright of his day, William Shakespeare did
not always bask in public acclaim. In fact, the survival of his reputation through the past four
centuries was by no means certain. The publication of the First Folio in 1623 saved about half
his plays that had never seen the dark of print, but when the Commonwealth closed all theaters
from 1642 until 1660, few if any people saw his work on stage.
Even when performances resumed, actors felt free
to cut scenes, add or omit characters, and change the
plot. The public watched Nahum Tate’s King Lear come
to a happy ending, and Henry Purcell turned The Tempest
into a musical after John Dryden and William Davenant
had both re-written it. Some famous performers could
make a version temporarily popular, as David Garrick did
with his Richard III, but he acted The Winter’s Tale
without three of its five acts. Meanwhile, the growing
taste for classical principles among intellectuals led them to deplore the playwright’s presumed
irregularities of writing style.
During the 1800s, the theater pillaged Shakespeare
to make money. The language was “bowdlerized” to strip
out any offensive language, and any works regarded as
immoral, like Measure for Measure, never made it to the
stage. Great actors such as Edmund Kean or Edwin Booth
(pictured left) seized on great roles, great moments, and
spectacular effects but heavily cut the rest of the plays in
which they performed. This kind of Shakespeare traveled
so widely in America throughout the nineteenth century
that Mark Twain satirized the inept troupes in Huckleberry
Finn.
Ironically, the Romantics of the period raised Shakespeare’s
reputation, but not as a playwright. For them, he was a poet to be read
rather than seen. Charles Lamb declared King Lear “essentially
impossible to be represented on a stage.” Publishers began to print new
editions, many with gorgeous engravings, and found them extremely
profitable. Volumes of the plays became an essential part of any cultured
family’s library. Even in small towns, groups of readers formed to read,
discuss, and declaim passages from Shakespeare.
When literature finally entered the curriculum as a subject worthy of teaching, every
student eventually encountered at least a few of the best-known plays. The reverence for
Shakespeare the poet ensured his fame while dooming him to dislike and dread among most
who had to study him in school. The emergence of complex literary interpretations at the
university level spread to classrooms at the secondary level, further alienating pupils from “the
world’s greatest writer.”
It has taken almost a century to return Shakespeare to his roots. In the early 1900s,
directors began working from the
original texts. Audiences responded
enthusiastically to theaters like the Old
Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company
in England. On this side of the Atlantic,
the Shakespeare Festivals in Ashland,
OR, Stratford, ONT, and New York City
have grown steadily since the midcentury. Other performing groups
devoted primarily to Shakespeare have
sprung up throughout the country,
including the one here in Nashville. The
reconstructed Globe in London and,
nearer home, the Blackfriars in Staunton, VA, delight viewers with plays performed on stages
from the Elizabethan and Jacobean period. So many other countries have appropriated
Shakespeare that scarcely a moment goes by on any day of the year without multiple
productions in progress. Indeed, more people now see these works than all the earlier
spectators combined.
With movies and television, Shakespeare
has extended his influence to an even wider
audience. But even without such mass media,
the public would pay homage through the
appropriations of his words, characters, and
plots by novelists, poets, other playwrights,
music, and all forms of popular culture. Any
English-speaking individual spouts Shakespeare,
knowingly or unknowingly.
Increasingly, teachers recognize that the plays will speak for themselves if students have
access to them in their intended format – performance. Bare words on a page do not represent
“Shakespeare” any more than bare notes on a score represent “Beethoven.” A dramatic script
is fundamentally different from a poem or novel or short story because it depends on nonverbal elements to bring it to life. It depends on a live, uninterrupted encounter between
audience and actors. Anything less demeans his achievement.
The Chandos portrait. Artist and authenticity unconfirmed.
It may depict William Shakespeare.
Or not.
Historical Context: Eliza & James
By Hugh Inman
Queen
Elizabeth I’s
funeral
The year 1603 brought great changes to the lives of all English citizens, none more so
than William Shakespeare himself. In March of that year Queen Elizabeth I died, ending a fortyfour year reign. Over one thousand attended her funeral, and tens of thousands lined the
streets to view her funeral procession. Historian John Stowe wrote that her mourners raised
"such a general sighing, groaning and weeping as the like hath not been seen or known in the
memory of man." One wonders if William Shakespeare was among the mourners who
attended the service or lined the streets. One thing is certain. It was a time of sadness and
uncertainty for the playwright, whose rising star had still not reached its zenith. Elizabeth I had
been a loyal patron of Shakespeare and his company of actors, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
During the last ten years of her reign, they had performed at court thirty-two times, compared
to thirty-seven performances by all other companies combined. Now a new monarch was on
the throne, this time a king, not from England, but Scotland.
James VI of Scotland had been king since the age of
thirteen months when his mother, Mary Queen of Scots,
was beheaded in the Tower of London on orders from her
cousin Elizabeth (yes, Good Queen Bess). During the last
years before her death, Queen Elizabeth had sent several
companies of actors to Scotland, probably as a gesture of
goodwill. By all accounts, King James was greatly pleased
with them. Although there is no concrete evidence that
Shakespeare traveled to Scotland, it is likely that he
journeyed there with some of the players with which he
was associated between 1599 and 1600 to lay the
groundwork for the likely king’s acceptance. King James ascended to the throne of England in
May 1603 as James I, and one of his first acts was to grant Shakespeare and others a license to
perform in London at the Globe theatre. The acting company now called themselves The King's
Players, and later The King’s Men.
Any concern that Shakespeare had about the patronage of the King vanished quickly.
During his reign the theatres enjoyed unprecedented support, with the King providing
patronage even greater than Queen Elizabeth had shown. In writing to his son Henry offering
advice about being a successful monarch, James referred to himself as a “player-king.” We, as
devotees of the Bard, owe a great deal to these two sovereigns of England, so vastly different in
style and purpose, yet fortunately alike as true champions of the theater and lovers of plays.
Shakespeare’s friend and contemporary, Ben Jonson
wrote in the preface to the First Folio in 1623 about the
delight Queen Elizabeth and King James took in witnessing
the plays of Shakespeare…
"Those flights upon the banks of Thames
That so did take Eliza and our James."
Ben Jonson
portrait by
Abraham
SOURCES
Brown, Henry, ed. Shakespeare's Patrons & Other Essays. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1912.
Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004.
Project Muse. English Literary History. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008.
Smith, David Nichol, ed. Eighteenth Century Essays on Shakespeare. J. MacLehose and Sons,
1903.
Setting the Scene: Othello activities for the classroom
“So will I turn her virtue into pitch,
And out of her own goodness make the net
That shall enmesh them all”.
(Act II, Scene III)
Soliloquies and Asides
In Othello characters use soliloquies to express desires, plan, confess and
reveal true intentions. I like to think of soliloquies as solos to remember that they
occur when characters are alone on stage.
An aside happens when a character speaks to the audience while other
people are in the scene. This clues the audience in on a character’s true feelings
while leaving the other characters oblivious, like a spoken secret.
Activity I
Soliloquies (Act 1 scene 3 or Act 5 scene 2)
As a class read and discuss Act 1 scene 3 beginning with Roderigo’s line
“Iago.” How does Iago talk to Roderigo? Familiarly? Respectfully? What is his
advice to Roderigo about how to attain Desdemona? Compare Iago’s response to
Roderigo in the scene with what he says in the soliloquy. What does Iago reveal
about his personality? Should he be trusted?
As a class read Othello’s Act 5 scene 2 soliloquy. What choice is
Othello struggling with? Why does Othello compare Desdemona to a
burning light? How do you put out a flame? What does this foreshadow?
Activity II
_
Asides (Act 2 scene 1)
Cast the roles of Iago, Emelia, Desdemona, Cassio, and Othello. Then read
the scene out loud with the “actors” on their feet beginning with Desdemona’s
line “O most lame and impotent conclusion”.
Iago should deliver his asides to the “audience”, the rest of the seated
class. By sharing these thoughts what does he hope to gain from the audience?
Asides are a daily part of life. They are certainly employed in schools or any
other place where large groups of people are gathered and noise can mask
comments and remarks. Discuss how people use asides in everyday life. When
and why do they occur? As a class, or in small groups, create a list of asides (in
vernacular English), which one could expect to hear from Iago throughout the
play. What function do they serve in telling the story? How would the play be
different without them?
Discussion Ideas & Questions
“…an old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe.”
(Act I, Scene I)
Discussion I: Racism and the “Other”
_
Othello deals with racism in very open terms. Being of a different culture and race
makes Othello an outsider. This status of not really belonging in a society is often called
the “Other”. Have you ever been in a situation where you were the only person of your
race, gender, religion, economic class, etc.? What was that experience like?
In order to dehumanize groups of people that are different often animal images are
used. During WWII the Nazis and many other groups identified Jews and other
unwanted people as “rats” and “cockroaches” who needed to be exterminated. Did
this work? Why?
The Holocaust
Teaching Tolerance
“'tis the soldiers’ life
To have their balmy slumbers waked with strife”.
(Act II, Scene III)
Discussion II: Soldiers
_
What kinds of sacrifices do soldiers make? What do they protect? What is the duty
of a soldier in peace time? Do you know anyone in the service? Did their
experience change them? How? Are all soldiers equal? Are all wars equal?
In our production
the soldiers are stationed in a fiercely guarded
island paradise and live by a regimented code
of ethics and behavior. What would be some
differences to look for between these soldiers
and American soldiers? Are “soldiers”
universal? Do they vary?
Child Soldiers
Wounded Warrior Project
“Give me a living reason she's disloyal”.
(Act III, Scene III)
Discussion III: Loyalty and trust
What does it mean to be loyal? Who does society say Othello, Desdemona, and
Iago should be loyal to? What are they expected to do? Does being loyal mean you
must believe and act upon what that person or group tells you even if you question
it? How can you be loyal to yourself? Name two examples from your favorite
movies or TV shows about loyalty, one good one bad.
Activity:
There is a concept in psychology known as “Locus of Control.” It helps to identify which
problems we have control over and which problems we do not.
In a journal, have students write 5-10 problems that they have.
Use the “Locus of Control Worksheet” to have students evaluate whether their
problem is internal or external, and whether they have control or no control over the
problem. They can write the problem in the appropriate box. The more internal a
problem is and the more control that a student has over it, the easier it is to change.
Have them reflect on which problems they can change.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
By Casey Flyth
Miriam Webster classifies PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as: a
psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (as
wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized
by depression, anxiety, flashbacks,
recurrent
nightmares,
and
avoidance of reminders of the
event. It is an unavoidable feeling
of being in constant fear or danger
even when perfectly safe. Though
PTSD can occur to anyone who has
relation to a traumatic event, the
population group most commonly
affected by this disorder is soldiers
and veterans who have seen
violent combat.
This disorder
has long been a serious epidemic within the population of soldiers and veterans. The
PTSD Foundation of America claims that as many as one in three troops are diagnosed
with serious PTSD symptoms. Out of those diagnosed with serious PTSD, only forty
percent will seek professional help. Those who have PTSD are known to suffer severely
in their personal lives. They have difficulty keeping healthy relationships, and have
extremely high rates of homelessness and suicide attempts. The National Institute of
Mental Health has done a large amount of research on the brains of PTSD sufferers.
They claim that PTSD is strongly related to the brains PFC, or Prefrontal Cortex. The
PFC is the part of the brain that blocks out painful memories or "controls the brain’s
stress alarm center". When someone suffers from an extremely traumatic situation,
the experience may be so severe that it hijacks the brains PFC, and blocks it from being
able to do its job – the job of keeping the person calm and secure. The override of the
PFC is PTSD.
PTSD is a serious issue in our country, especially in soldiers and veterans. As this
disorder continues to be brought to light, research and resources become more
readily available to its victims.
Children in the Military: An International Issue
The atrocity of child soldiers dates
back to antiquity. Ancient literature
and philosophy document children as
a part of a soldier’s baggage.
Throughout history, we see children
fill a variety of roles. Medieval
Europe utilized boys from twelve
years old and up as “squires”.
Napoleon enlisted many teenagers for
military purposes. In Russia, boys as
young as eight years old were taken to
fill the quota under the reign of
Nicholas I. Perhaps one of the more
famous roles from history is the
“drummer boy”, which became well
known during the Battle of Waterloo.
American, Willie Johnston received the Medal of Honor in the Civil War at age 11. Other children who armed
the cannons were known as “powder monkeys”.
The use of children for military purposes can be found all throughout history in innumerable countries.
Children were brainwashed and desensitized in the Indochina Wars to complete mass murders and other
horrific acts in the Cambodian genocide. Other inhuman acts have taken place all over the world. In 2003,
P.W. Singer of the Brookings Institution estimated “that child soldiers participate in about three quarters of all
the ongoing conflicts in the world” (Nations).
Today Child Soldiers International, an international human rights research and advocacy organization,
works to create a world where children are protected from any forced military recruitment and can grow to
reach their full potential and enjoy their human rights. They work with several themed campaigns, which
include issues of accountability, standard age requirement of eighteen years, state armed forces, recovery and
social reintegration for former child soldiers, and the implementation of abiding by states’ specific protocol.
Countries currently included in their program include: Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar,
Thailand, and the United Kingdom (Home).
References
“Children and War” 2008. Photo retrieved from http://curiousandconfused.wordpress.com/tag/childsoldiers-initiative/
“Home” Child Soldiers International. 2013. Retrieved from
http://www.child-soldiers.org/index.php. Dec 1 2013
“Military use of children”. Nov 21 2013. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_children.
Wikipedia. Dec 1 2013
DESIGN and ACTIVITIES
Color palette
Designers often work within a specific color
palette or a range of hues. If your students had to
choose only five colors to employ in a production
of Othello, which five would they choose and
why? Are these colors dark or light? What does
each color communicate to the audience? Are
particular colors associated with certain
characters? Why? You can use this link to help
your students explore color.
Costume
Costumes tell us about characters:
age, status, occupation, personality, and
sometimes what country they are in.
Lighting
Lights tell us where to look on stage and what time of day or even season it is but are
also very useful when portraying mood.
Scenery
Scenery for theatre is not always realistic. Sometimes it suggests a
location and the mood that goes with it. What type of landscape is described
at the beginning of the play? How could
you portray that on stage? What type
of scenic shift would have to happen
when the action of the play moves to
the island of Cypress (Cyprus)?
Sound
Sound design can incorporate any or all of the following: recorded sound effects,
pre-recorded music, live music, and music designed specifically for that show. In
Othello the sound will incorporate echoes of war, the voices you hear in your head,
and whispers.
Casting
Using the characters with
which your students are most
familiar – perhaps Othello,
Desdemona, Iago, Emelia, and
Cassio, cast a production of
Othello using modern-day film
actors. Discuss what features,
attributes, and visuals are
important about the actors they
choose to cast in the roles.
_
Sometimes it is fun to cast friends or family members when you are designing a
play. Artists take inspiration from what they see every day.
Unique perspectives on Othello_________________________________
Often in theatre experiments take place.
Sometimes gender roles are switched, a
play is cast non-traditionally, turned into
a movie or deconstructed and put back
together through music or other multimedia experiences.
Otello at the Nashville Opera
Othello in Performance
By Dr. Ann Jennalie Cook
The earliest recorded performance of Othello occurred in November 1604,
when the King’s Men played at Whitehall Palace before James I, though the work
had probably appeared on stage earlier that year. References to productions at
Oxford, the Globe, the Blackfriars, and Hampton Court testify to its enduring
popularity. In fact, during the seventeenth century, only The Tempest is mentioned
in print more often. Samuel Pepys saw the tragedy twice, the second time at Drury
Lane with Margaret Hughes, probably the first woman on any English stage, playing
Desdemona to Nathaniel Burt’s Othello.
From the time when William Shakespeare
created the Moor for Richard Burbage, (picture at
right) his company’s leading actor, the role has been a
favorite with great performers. The list of the famous
includes Thomas Betterton, David Garrick, John Philip
Kemble, and Edmund Kean. Other lesser figures, like
Spranger Barry, are virtually forgotten, even though
he portrayed Othello to great acclaim in more than 20
different productions between 1746 and 1775. By the
nineteenth century, it had become customary for
actors like William Charles Macready and Samuel Phelps or Henry Irving and Edwin
Booth to alternate between playing Iago and playing the Moor opposite each
other. During this period the American Ira Aldridge became the first black to
undertake Othello, winning acclaim in London as well as in European cities.
Though this tragedy continued to find
favor with audiences after 1900, no single actor
stands out until another black American
electrified audiences on both sides of the
Atlantic – Paul Robeson. When he appeared at
the Savoy in 1930, England’s finest performers,
Ralph Richardson, Sybil Thorndike, and Peggy
Ashcroft, played Iago, Emilia, and Desdemona,
respectively. When he toured in the United
States, some cities refused to book Othello
because Robeson kissed Desdemona (Uta
Hagen) on stage. However, by the end of the
twentieth century, it had become politically
incorrect for white actors to play the leading role. Before that time, however, it
was routine for any great male performer to tackle the part. The list of those who
attempted it includes Ralph Richardson, Donald Wolfit, Jack Hawkins, Anthony
Quayle, Richard Burton, John Gielgud, and Anthony Hopkins, among others.
In a startling reverse of now standard practice, the Shakespeare Theatre cast
Patrick Stewart as Othello in a Washington, DC, production. However, all the
Venetians were African-American, while all those on Cyprus were of mixed race.
The play’s references to “blackness” became metaphors for character traits rather
than skin color. For Stewart, who won raves from the critics, it marked a rare
opportunity to take on a role he had wanted to play since he was fourteen. As he
commented, “To replace the black outsider with a white man in a black society will,
I hope, encourage a much broader view of the fundamentals of racism.”
Fortunately for teachers and students, an unusual number of Othello
productions are available, beginning with a silent film from 1922. Starring German
actor Emil Jannings and directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki, it features the
exaggerated performing style and the brief sub-titles that mark this kind of movie.
In a different category altogether is Orson Welles’ 1952 film of Othello.
So strapped for money that he had to take acting jobs to finance the project, he
shot on location in Venice, then moved (when money permitted) to shoot in Spain
and North Africa. After costumes failed to arrive as expected, he shifted the
attempted murder of Cassio and the murder of
Roderigo to a Turkish bath so that everyone
could just wear towels. Despite the sporadic
schedule, the resulting work ranks with Citizen
Kane as a masterpiece. Thanks to a restoration
in 1992, audiences can revel in the unexpected
camera angles, the recurring images of
entrapment, and the haunting opening scene
which shows the end of the tragedy before the
plot unfolds. Black and white, rather than color,
perfectly complement this film.
In 1963, the blockbuster staging of
Othello, during the opening season of
London’s National Theatre, was taped and
subsequently released for public viewing.
Laurence Olivier spent a year deepening his
voice a full octave and acquiring a vaguely
Caribbean accent for his portrayal of the
Moor. His dark black body makeup took
hours to apply. By comparison, Frank Finlay
as Iago seems a weak foil to his enemy, but
Maggie Smith debuts brilliantly as
Desdemona, and Derek Jacobi shows his
future promise as Cassio. One night when someone in the front rows of the
audience kept saying all his lines along with Olivier, he sent an employee to end the
annoyance, only to discover that his “echo” was Winston Churchill.
While the BBC-TV series of all
Shakespeare’s plays produced a mixed lot at
best, the 1981 version of Othello deserves
considerable credit. Directed by Jonathan
Miller, the performance managed to
negotiate the limitations in budget, shooting
time, locations, and casting that plagued this
entire enterprise. In particular, the choice of
Anthony Hopkins as the Moor and Bob
Hoskins as Iago pitted a classically trained
stage actor against a working-class movie
and television actor who never before (or since) played Shakespeare. During the
seduction scene that marks the arc of the plot in Act Three, the close-up camera
work reveals an intimacy of the two men’s relationship, along with the
understated, barely controlled violence of Othello.
In 1987, Othello made history in South Africa. Janet Suzman, who was born
there and whose aunt (a long-standing, political opponent of apartheid) first gave
her a copy of Shakespeare, decided to direct the play in that country. Already a
star with the Royal Shakespeare Company, she lamented the fact that
extraordinary black actors had no opportunities to appear in classical works. John
Kani, who had won a Tony for his role in Sizwi
Banzi Is Dead, took on the title role. Each day of
rehearsal and performance, he had to face police
stops between his home in the township of
Soweto and the Market Theatre, one of the few
places in Johannesburg where black and white
and colored could freely congregate. On opening
night, when Othello kissed Desdemona (Joanna
Weinburg) at the end of the first act, many in the
audience walked out, though subsequently the
run played to sold-out houses. While the filming
of this production (released in 1995) does not
reach professional movie standards, many
students find it the most powerful of all the
versions, particularly the Moor’s death scene.
Another production by the venerable Royal Shakespeare Company in 1989
filled every seat in The Other Place, Stratford’s tiny experimental playhouse (now
demolished). The director, Trevor Nunn,
cast Willard White, a Jamaican opera
basso with no experience in Shakespeare,
as Othello. His unfamiliarity with the
poetry and the subtleties of English
accents clearly marks him as an outsider.
Nunn’s wife, Imogene Stubbs, portrays a
physical, passionate Desdemona, while
the veteran actor Ian McKellen plays Iago
superbly. In the context of a British
colonial setting, the hatred of a
quintessential soldier for a commander
both foreign and dark of skin makes
perfect sense. Interestingly, Zoe
Wanamaker, as Emilia, followed in the
footsteps of her father, Sam Wanamaker
(fund-raiser and founder of London’s Globe), who performed the role of Iago for
the same company in 1959.
Though much shorter than the RSC production, the 1995 movie of Othello,
directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring him as Iago, proves far less subtle. With
a known box office name, Lawrence Fishburne, playing the Moor, the attention
inevitably shifts to the villain because of the actor’s long years of familiarity with
Shakespeare. Such a tilt in focus from hero to villain has marked many other
performances throughout history. Here textual cuts abound, and the locations
often overwhelm the dialogue. However, the camera’s focus on the mouth in
repeated shots underscores the way words shape reality, fantasy, and destruction
in this tragedy.
The most recent version of Othello, comes from a 2007 performance at the
London Globe, directed by Wilson Milan. With Eamon Walker as the Moor and the
talented Tim McInnerny as Iago, the filming takes viewers inside this recreation of
Shakespeare’s theater and, unlike tapes of other stage productions, offers the
ambiance of a live performance. While far from definitive in terms of acting or
interpretation, the presentation does bring in some elements that none of the
other available possibilities offer.
Over the years, Othello has provided material for re-interpretation in a
variety of media. Though not exhaustive, the following list identifies some of those
re-interpretations.
A Double Life (1947) – movie starring Ronald Coleman (Academy Award for role, Signe Hasso,
Shelley Winters. Double plots and double roles, tragically revolving around an actor’s real life which
merges with his stage life as the Moor.
Othello (1955) – foreign film, starring Sergei Bondarchuk, directed by S. Yutkevich, script by Boris
Pasternak, music by Katchaturian. Influenced by Welles.
Othello (2001) – BBC show, directed by Geoffrey Sax, telling the story of a black policeman, John
Othello, unexpectedly promoted to command over his erstwhile mentor, Ben Jago.
O (2001) – movie of teenagers Odin (Mekhi Phifer), Desi (Julia Stiles), and Hugo (Josh Harnett),
playing out the consequences of a black basketball player at a private school who falls in love with the
wrong girl.
Omkara (2006) – foreign film set in India, superbly directed and re-interpreted by Vishal Bhadwaj.
Otello – opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Several versions, including one with Placido Domingo and Kiri
Te Kanawa.
The Moor’s Pavane – Ballet choreographed by Jose Limon with music by Henry Purcell.
Dr. Ann Cook Calhoun
Additional Teacher Resources:
Virtual Tour of the Globe
Shakespearean Dictionary
Technical Aspects of Theatre Flash Cards
Theater Lighting & Sound
Shakespeare Uncovered Documentary Series
Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson
Nashville Ballet
No Fear Shakespeare
Directions to the theatre
Troutt Theater
2100 Belmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37212
From I-440: take Exit 3 for 21st
Avenue
Merge onto 21st Avenue and
continue 0.4 mile. Turn RIGHT
onto Blair Blvd. and
continue 0.4 mile. Turn LEFT onto
Belmont Blvd. and continue 500ft.
From I-65: take Exit 81 for
Wedgewood Ave. Go west on
Wedgewood Ave. and continue 1
mile. Turn LEFT on 15th Ave. S and
continue 0.4 mile. Turn RIGHT on
Delmar Street and continue 0.2
mile. Turn RIGHT on Belmont Blvd. and continue 300ft.
2014 NSF Apprentice Company for As You Like It
Interested in Theatre?
The Apprentice Company is a training intensive for aspiring theatre lovers
age 13+ led by the Artistic Director and Education Director, along with guest
artists hired from the professional talent in Nashville. Apprentices receive 50
hours of performance training in movement, voice and diction, acting, text
analysis, and character work, and then perform supporting roles in the
Shakespeare in the Park production. Auditions for the 2014 Apprentice Company
will be April 19, 2014.
For further information on this program, visit
http://www.nashvilleshakes.org/apprentice.htm
2012 Apprentice Company, Much Ado About Nothing
Othello is made possible by:
This production is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National Endowment for
the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest. This project is funded in part by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts
Commission and under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Nashville Shakespeare Festival
Othello
Locus of Control
Name
No Control
Control
Internal
External
Name:
Date
Nashville Shakespeare Festival Othello Project Menu
Pick several project ideas from the menu below. You earn different points for different sections. Your
total project must add up to 50 points. It is due to your teacher
_.
10 points
15 points
25 points
50 points
Rewrite the ending of the
story. 1-2 pages.
Make a poster advertising
the play.
Make a color design
sheet that provides
possible costumes for at
least 5 characters
Make a 3 dimensional model
of a possible set for the play
Write a 2 page summary
of the historical context
of the play.
Create a dust jacket with a
front cover and back cover
for the play.
Make a color design
sheet that shows set
design for at least 3
scenes
Build a board game that
incorporates elements of the
play.
Write an original poem,
or song related to the
play.
Memorize one of the
monologues or soliloquies
and perform it in front of the
class.
Design music for the
play. Include links to at
least 5 songs, with a 1
page write up of where
they would come in and
why you would use
them.
Make a 3 minute video
reenacting a scene from the
play.
The new Common Core State Standards for Reading Literature can be largely covered through
following the activities in the Nashville Shakespeare Festival guidebook, as well as reading the play,
attending the play, and participating in the NSF workshops. Depending on the activities, teachers
may also cover many of the other ELA standards as well. The Guidebook itself can be used for
Informational Texts. Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language standards may also be
incorporated.
Standard
Meaning
Activity
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to Loyalty
Jealousy
support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text, including determining where the
text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.2
Determine two or more themes or central
ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text,
including how they interact and build on one
another to produce a complex account;
provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze the impact of the author’s choices
regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how
the characters are introduced and
developed).
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.3
Loyalty
Jealousy
Director’s Note
Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.4
Asides and
Determine the meaning of words and
Soliloquies
phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone,
including words with multiple meanings or
language that is particularly fresh, engaging,
or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well
as other authors.)
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.5
Director’s Note
Analyze how an author’s choices
concerning how to structure specific parts of
a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or
end a story, the choice to provide a comedic
or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as its
aesthetic impact.
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.6
Analyze a case in which grasping a point of
view requires distinguishing what is directly
stated in a text from what is really meant
(e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
Asides and
Soliloquys
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.7
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.9
Analyze multiple interpretations of a story,
drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live
production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least
one play by Shakespeare and one play by
an American dramatist.)
Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-,
nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century
foundational works of American literature,
including how two or more texts from the
same period treat similar themes or topics.
Othello in
Production
Viewing the
play
Not Applicable
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.1112.10
By the end of grade 11, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR
text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
By the end of grade 12, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, at the high end of the
grades 11-CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently
Othello scores a
1390 Lexile
score, putting it
in the high
range.